Rain is in the forecast,
for tomorrow.
It will be the first winter storm,
for the parched Holler,
and won’t be nearly enough,
but we’ll take what we can get,
to keep The Holler bloomin’.
Happy Holidays to you from The Holler~
Note: These photos were taken near The Holler, at The Vista Botanical Garden, Ganter Nursery, and The San Diego Safari Park.
Gorgeous!
Grazie mille დ
Cindy, your blooms from the Holler are glorious, absolutely luminous! May tomorrow’s rain slake all thirsty flora and fauna – even if only temporarily until the next storm.
Thank you my friend/ I love and appreciate you kind hopes for rain დ
The hibiscus is extremely beautiful. We have the same ranges of colour in here also. Love this post. Amazing pictures. Nature s creation is marvelous. 🌺
Thank you, much appreciated. I bought that hibiscus because I was so taken with the colors დ
Yes. It grows well and colours are vivid and we have tens of colours here and widely seen all over. I am always waiting for your next post. It’s a joy and big smiles to view the images. Always some thing to watch and explore. I rate your posts are the best in the team always.
Still covid restrictions around here make me work from home and all my cameras are sleeping 🤣 hope and wish soon can escape from this restrictions.
How wonderful you have so many. I fully relate to how covid has put a damper on the freedom we need to fully enjoy taking photos.
I totally agree with you. It’s going to be two years and all out door activities are restricted. Every quarter new virus is arriving with wired names and spoiling peace of everyone around. Wishing no virus news in the year ahead . Have a nice evening 😊
It is gorgeous. As are the other blooms and beauties.
Cheers to you in gorgeous New Zealand დდ
Such beautiful blooms!
So appreciated. Thank you & be well Sandy დ
Best to you, also, Cindy.
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Oh those magnificent colors! 💛💜💚🧡 I hope you’ll get enough rain to see a glorious bloom.
I hope so too Teresa and thank you! დ
Beautiful!
Thank you!! დ
I hope you get a nice slow, soaking rainfall. Beautiful photos! Happy Holidays to you too, Cindy. 🤶
So kind & so appreciated Lynette. I look forward to spending another virtual year with you my thoughtful friend დ
Beautiful color and variety Cindy, the first one is quite interesting
Thanks much, and yes I was taken by the first flowers too. They grow in bunches on bushes and are so beautiful when the details can be seen close up დ
You can have some of our rain Cindy! Way too much even for us in a Rainforest!
Honestly, we should send tankers and bring some down. Stay safe and warm Wayne დ
thanks Cindy!
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Paintbrush lilies and proteas make me feel at home! We have had one glorious rainstorm that has revived us all. I am so pleased you have some in the offing too!
I was just over at your post, looking at your snail which is exactly the same as ours. We have armies of them coming out after the rain. Our snails are not native, but were imported in the mid-1800’s. I had no idea I could be farming and selling them. See : https://www.foodandwine.com/news/snail-farms-united-states
You would feel quite at home at The Holler, but you would miss your giraffes et. al. !!! I miss them all too. So happy you got rain!
Yay for rain!. And more next week! My son and I planted quite a few natives in anticipation of some wet weather. Beautiful photos as usual!
I didn’t know more is coming next week. That is excellent news! It seems just misty and damp today, but it’s better than nothing. Natives are definitely a smart move. I have been tending my Matilija Poppies for a year now. They are native, but boy are they hard to get going. Enjoy our bit of much needed winter weather my friend დ
You named the plant I’m DYING to have! Matilija Poppies are my all time fave but I don’t have any. Do you propagate yours? We have a large yard esp for the coast with a flat area and two upper parts. The top one is my son’s fave cos it’s all Cal natives-he’s been working on it since college, we used to go to Las Pilitas before it closed. This time we found an adorable little nursery with natives in Pt Loma on the way home from the airport. She gifted us a ton of native seeds so I’ll be working hard for the next two weeks while the ground is wet.
I know that we are nearly neighbors, and I love that. Your son sounds wonderful! The Matilija’s have been a labor of love and effort. They’re native, so how hard could they be to grow? The answer is really hard. They are sensitive plants. The tend to live naturally on the sides of creek beds where there is water. The seeds germinate with smoke from fire. I see them growing around here often. I think they are the most beautiful flower. I planted 8 as a test. 5 are sill alive.
Yeah, it IS pretty cool we are in the same area and thank you, I am biased regarding my son, lol. I’m very happy you’re able to successfully grow Matilijas, I am determined to have some in my garden! I’ll never forget the first time I saw one on the cover of an old Sunset magazine.
You remember the old Sunset Magazine? That’s amazing. My grandfather’s cactus garden was featured in it.
WOW! That’s so cool.
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Moosa Creek won’t have them until Feb or March so I’ll try again!
That is where I get them too. Nice to know we don’t just live close, we think close.
Wishing you as much rain as you need. And Happy holidays!
Alison xo 💕
I appreciate your good wishes Alison & Happy Holidays my friend დ
Wow. Just wow. Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain.
I’m singing your song Jim!!! Thanks my friend & cheers დ
Very beautiful photos, Cindy! ☺️❤️
Honored. Thank you John დ
I LOVE visiting the Holler! Magnificent photos.
Your are always a most welcome guest Rebecca დ
You must have wonderful warm weather for hibiscus to bloom just now. We have a few shivering geraniums hanging on through a first snowfall, but nothing exotic like your blooms! So nice!!! I feel warmer already.
Brave geraniums, blooming in the snow! The Holler does get below freezing for a few nights each year. But the citrus and pomegranate orchards tolerate it for some reason. More tropical plants need to be sheltered to survive. Stay safe & warm my friend დ
Thanks, Cindy. I’m looking forward to the solstice (in about 12 days) when I can tell myself the days are getting longer and spring will come again one day.
I hear you and I understand! Happy soon to be solstice დ
I do hope you get rain! More for you guys and less for us, who have had way too much.
Those flowers are gorgeous!
Feast & famine, too often the way of our world. Thank you Audrey and stay safe & well დ
Incredible!😍
Merci beaucoup Tiffany დ
These are beautiful Cindy, and best wishes for Christmas, some lovely rain and the holidays…and not necessarily in that order 🤣 😂 😀 ❤️ 🙏🏽 🦋 🎅🏽 🕊 🎄 🎁 ⛄️
I will take those lovely wishes with gratitude Mark, in any order! Merry Christmas დ
First time I’ve been able to comment in ages, and thankfully at Christmas time! Thank you 😀 ❤️ 🙏🏽 🦋 🎅🏽 🕊 🎄 🎁 ⛄️
I just went to your blog and read about the hijacking. I am so sorry you went through this, but very glad you are still here. Merry Christmas Mark დ
Flowers give us joy. Beautiful photos.
They are hope growing. Thank you Lakshmi დ
No shortage of beauty in your neck of the woods, Cindy. Happy holidays to you and yours!
Thank you Jo & visa versa 2UX2! დდ
Happy Holidays!
Wonderful to hear from you Mandy. Hope you are safe & well დ
All good, Cindy!
I am glad to hear it. Merry Christmas Mandy.
Blooming indeed! Happy December!
Happy December Margaret & cheers my friend დ
I wish you enough rain to keep it all in perfect bloom. Those are stunning shots, Cindy!!! Incredible flowers! Wow! Happy December.
Happy December Marlene & thank you. Hope you stay safe & well my friend დ
Glorious flowers Cindy, here’s wishing you Happy Holidays too! 🤗💜🎄
Thanks my friend & cheers too! დ
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Merry Christmas, Cindy! Thanks for all the fabulous photos over the years.
Merry Christmas to you and your family Darlene. I look forward to spending another virtual year with you my friend დ
This is kust like going to my favourite Kew Gardens. Love it where you are!
The Kew gardens are magnificent. I love where you are too! დ
Splendid – as ever
Anonymous is Derrick
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Blogging is wonderful because of friends like you Derrick დ
Thank you so much, Cindy
A rose by any other name…….. დ
🙂 X
The opening series with the black background are magnificent! Cheers to receiving rain … at least some.
Thank you Frank. Some is definitely better than none! 😉
Wonderful blooms and captures Cindy. May the rain bring much needed refreshment 💛🙏💛
Thank you Val & I’m happy you enjoyed. Take good care my friend დ
Beautiful captures of such beautiful flowers.
I was just over admiring your photos, so thank you very much! დ
Wonderful colors! I especially like the flower with purple blending to pink.
I am so glad you like that flower. I almost didn’t include it, but you make me glad I did. Thank you Dave დ
good morning, how nice to wake to the colourful Holler… dark cold mornings here.. with snow.. high of only about 28 today.. love your posts… stay safe.. greetings to you and your family from Canada.
Beautiful Canada. Your flowers are storing up energy for your super spring bloom! Thank you for your thoughtfulness & cheers to you დ
Beautiful photos
Grazie mille Sheree დ
😎
Such pretty blooms!! We woke up to snow this morning.
Lucky ducky Liz!! I can’t see our mountains as they are covered in mist, but my guess is there is snow. Not much though. Stay safe & warm Liz დ
Thanks, Cindy! I shall. The snow is so beautiful to look at from inside the nice, warm house. (Not so much, when I had to drive to work in it.)
I get that driving to work bit. Even without snow, it’s good to be done with it! 😉
For sure! When I lived in the South, I didn’t have the snow to contend with, but I spent too many hours of my life sitting in traffic.
The remote work option has been a positive for many, especially working families with young children.
The remote work option was good for me as well, before I retired. It was such a relief to telecommute when the roads were bad.
Yes. People and their families matter much more than the men who run corporations.
That goes for colleges and universities, too. People matter more than numbers–and students aren’t numbers for the bottom line.
You are so right on. I know you know what you are talking about because I experienced it myself. Every time you hear a college/university administrator say, “We are here for the students.”
You know it not truthful, because the people who actually do get up front with students with problems, never say this. They just do it.
I wish I didn’t know what I was talking about. When Marketing is running the college, students’ best interests are not even on the list, including a quality education. Yes, it was time for me to go.
And when you left, you flew, on your own, because you are not only creative, you are intelligent.
Thank you, Cindy. I try to keep my wits about me.
🙂
They’re all so lovely! I love that purple one. We’re supposed to get snow, but I can’t tell yet if we did as it’s still too dark, but my yard is just wet. It rained. I hope the lawn and field have snow.
I hope you do get some rain!
We are getting a small amount of rain as I type. It is misty and foggy though which is good for the plants. Stay safe and warm დ
😀
What beautiful desert flowers! I hope you get lots of rain to refresh the land, plants, and people. Happy Holidays Cindy!
Happy Holidays Brad. I look forward to another virtual year with you my friend დ
Thank you Cindy. I feel the same and am grateful to know you. 💕
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Gorgeous
I wish I could send you a bouquet Gigi! დ
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It looks you mixed up the seasons there. These beauty are not related to winter anyhow! However it is real joy to see your colourful world by that time of the year!
So happy you enjoyed Alexander & cheers to you! It is never really winter here. დ
Cindy, nowadays it’s really hard to find the real winter
With lot of snow and Frost. We are living like in fairy tale “Snow White and Seven Dwarfs, where the seasons have been changed in one night.
Anyway, enjoy the spirit of Christmas.🎄
I wish I was there! Merry Christmas to you and yours Alexander დ
Thank you, Cindy!
That is really sad, isn’t it.
Yes it is. The real winter is just staying in my memory. It worth to write the story about my childhood winter, but the problem is – I am not a writer🙂.
I think you are a writer and do so quite well.
Thank you for your belief in me, but unfortunately, as you understand Cindy, english is not my native language, and I cannot express my thoughts using the right words to make my writing not just informative, but belles-lettres. Reading english books I see how many beautiful words and definitions this language has, but they are not in my vocabulary and it takes time for me to find something appropriate to express what I would like to say. Unfortunately, I came to english environment too late. It is one of the problem. The other one is I am listener.
Because I am planning to live long life😀, probably I’ll try to write. Being at retirement age I have to work anyway for now. We’ll see what gonna happen.
You, Alexander, speak any language with beauty. Your photos pave the way for you, they are after all, international language. English is definitely a second rated language, all sorts of dumb people speak it, including me. Having the humility to write, read and talk in other language, not perfectly, seems to me to be a prerequisite, for being a good human being.
Thank you Cindy. It is not about what surrounding people think about my language it is about how I feel myself.
Have a wonderful Sunday! Unfortunately, after Friday disaster it is impossible to feel happy. However, we have to try.
“It is not about what surrounding people think about my language it is about how I feel myself.”
Yes. Very true. And as a surrounding person, orbiting your star Alexander, I can tell you truthfully, you shine brighter than you know.
Oh, Cindy, thank you for your kind words!❤️
It is just true, about you.
Beautiful photos, as always. I’m so glad you are getting some rain💙
Merci beaucoup mon Ami Alethea დ
Wow! So very pretty!
Thank you for brightening our lives with your beautiful photos!
Thank you more for your very kind comment & cheers to you დ
Thank you!!
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Beautiful garden and flowers… hope you get a nice soaking! <3
Thank you Eliza. It will be around a quarter of an inch. Not a soaking by any means, but better than nothing. The mist and fog is good for the plants დ
What beautiful flowers! It feels so good to look at your wonderful pictures over here in the cold, wintery, snowy Southern Bavaria.
Have a fine time, dear Cindy, and stay safe!
So kind of you my friend. We could swap places for a few days! You can warm up here, and I will go to The Christmas Markets, eat German food and German Christmas cookies. I miss Germany. Stay safe, warm & well დ
So sorry, dear Cindy, but because of the Corona Virus we don’t have any Christmas Markets here in Bavaria and most of Germany… We all do hope that next year the situation will be a far better one… But if you mail me your address I would love to send you some Original selfmade Bavarian Christmas cookies. 😉
I just found your comment. It was in my WP spam file, along with many other comments. I am so sorry your magical markets are cancelled. I do understand why however, and safety is the priority. Your wonderful offer of your homemade cookies is so lovely of you. I am afraid that I found your beautiful offer too late for you to send without inconvenience to yourself. I have an idea however, next year let’s each send each some of our own homemade Christmas cookies. It is a wonderful idea. Merry Christmas my friend. I hope you and your family are having an healthy and happy Advent.
Sometimes that happens to me, too, that a lot of comments vanish into the WP spam file…
Your idea of sending each other homemade Christmas cookies next year is wonderful!
Have with your beloved ones a wonderful and healthy Advent time, too, my dear.
Happy Healthy Advent! I so look forward to spending another year with you my friend.
<3
Such beauty surrounding you, Cindy! Here’s hoping you get some much-needed rain … and that your holidays are most merry!
Thanks so much for Debbie & Happy Holidays to you დ
So appreciated Debbie! We got the rain so your wishes worked!! Take good care my friend and Happy Holidays დ
I am looking at the first snow, bundled up, not freezing but cold enough to wish for a glimpse of summer. You just delivered 🙂
So happy to add a touch of warmth to your life my friend. Stay safe and well დ
Simply love your gorgeous shares!
Awwww……. People like you Felicia are the reason I love blogging დ
Exquisite flowers!
Much appreciated and very kind Rosaliene. I apologize for my tardy response. I just found your kind comment in my WP spam filter დ
Lovely flowers! So far, the rain has been pretty slight out here on the coast. Hoping for more later. Crossing my fingers and doing a rain dance for extra luck.
Thank you Janis, and yes, it is more like dampness than rain. I’ll dance now too, maybe the two of us can make it happen, although my twin 3 year old grandsons danced up a storm yesterday and coaxed nary a drop from the sky!! 😉 😉
Despite being parched, there still seem to be plenty of beautiful flowers near The Holler! I think I’ve said this before, but I wish we could ship rain from the east to California 😆
Thank you so much Josh. I wish you could do that too. It is so good to be in contact with you. I am proud of what you are doing
Thanks Cindy! Maybe I’ll start mailing buckets of water to California 😆
Thank you. I know you would do it Josh, but unless Amazon sells it, it will get lost in the mail 😉
Beautiful shots, Cindy!
Wish I could send you some of our rain!
B.C. alone got enough for all of us. Some towns are just gone. They say an atmospheric river fell on them.
Crazy climate change.
Yes. I have been reading about this. Very sorry. Floods and drought seem to be the world we have created. But, you and I had no choice or voice about this. Robert Frost wrote about this, “Some say the world will in end fire, some say in ice.”
How did he know?
Well, it could be from religious beliefs….
An early understanding that the sun would not last forever…
Creative insight.
Yes. Creative insight. Looks beyond what people say. I am so glad we have this Resa.
Me too!
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Wow! What a beautiful collection of exotic flowers! Love of all.
I am so happy you do! Thank you. I hope all is well with you my friend დ
Wishing you (and us) some moisture, even if it won’t be enough. 🌧🌧🌧
Thank you. There is supposed to be a bigger storm next Tuesday with an actual inch or more!! დ
I hope it will materialize!
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Seeing all those beautiful colors in the midst of some very gray and cold days does my heart good. Thank you.
Your <3 feeling good makes me happy დ
Gorgeous flowers. What are those first ones?
Thank you. These are White Paintbrush. Quite exotic looking, especially close up დ
Such pretty bright colours, where do they grow? 🙂
They all grow near where I live in Southern California დ
So lovely pictures! It is nice to see such colorful pictures during this time of the year.
I am happy you enjoyed. Take good care my friend დ
beautiful Cindy
and wishing you happy holidays
Thank you. Stay safe & well დ
Lovely photos, thank you for sharing, Cindy. LG Marie
Thank you more for your kind appreciation Marie & stay safe and well დ
Oh I see you grow protea in the Holler, it’s our national flower. At least they don’t need too much water. Happy days. 🙂
Yes, protea and bottle brush grow prolifically at The Holler. Our landscape looks very similar to South Africa, minus the incredible wildlife of course. Cheers to you Ally & thanks for stopping by დ
The Holler sounds like a wonderful place. xx
Your place is just a myriad of serious clicks more wonderful than here at The Holler.
On our second trip, we stayed outside Crocodile Bridge. We passed the gate, drove to our house, we were greeted by the house cat, who hung around for awhile in the house with us. Jim who is a cat person, went here because I needed to, says to me, “We could live here.”
And I am thinking, just 30 minutes into Kruger. I was born in the wrong place.
In the morning, we told the owners how much we liked their cat. They looked really nervous, and said “We don’t have a cat.”
I said, “Of course you do, it spent a long time in the house with us.”
It was a South African Wild Cat, and it hung out with us.
I fricking love where you live.
That’s such an amazing story, thank for you sharing it with me Cindy. I think I live in a wonderful place, but it has gotten a bad rap so often, even now.
I wouldn’t live anywhere else.
I have only traveled to Europe and the UK but I would one day love to visit the Americas and see how the other half live.
How neat, Cindy, to let your beautiful flowers and plants speak for you. Let it rain. let it rain, let it rain. –Curt
Merry Christmas to you Curt. I hope we both have another virtual year together. I like hanging out with you დ
Ditto, Cindy. 🙂
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Marvelous, Cindy!!! Just LOVED these images!! Thank you! xo
Your images are magically wonderful Amy. I love looking at them დ
These are so beautiful Cindy and I love these words .
Anita
I love you too Anita and am blessed to know you დ
Perfect pictures, Cindy! 🙂
Honored. Thank you very much დ
You’re welcome, Cindy! 🙂
🙂 The Holler in Bloom ~ you’ve definitely have some magic for the holiday season, Cindy. Beautiful photos and I hope the rain will be plentiful enough to keep the blooms (and you) happy 🙂
I missed you Randall. Happy Holidays to you and your beautiful family დ
Beautiful colours and details.
And, certainly, beautiful flowers.
I appreciate this. Thank you დ
Amazing shots again, thanks. ♥
Thank you. I’m very sorry you are going through such hard times. I wish I could visit you. I would like to. But due to covid, we now actually live like we are continents apart. Please know I think of you. დ
Kind words from you, Cindy, bless. ♥
Keep taking precautions please. X
Yes. I will. Thank you. And you too my friend დ
Cheers, Mon Ami. X
Visa versa 2UX2.
Thank you for bringing such beauty into my day!
It takes beauty to appreciate it. Thank you Jennie for being truly beautiful დ
Thank you, Cindy! 🥰
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Our odd weather has my fortsytha blooming in December!
Best of the Holly Daze season to you and yours and a happy and healthy New Year!!
Love to you and yours Jules & Happy Holidays to all of you დ
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Thank you very much for sharing such beautiful photographs.Take care.🙏💐
Thank you for your brilliant compassion დ
My pleasure.🙏😊🌹
What a beautiful garden holding so many colours in it. Its beautiful ❣
Happy Holidays!
Thank you very much Ritish. Stay safe and well my friend დ
Happy Holidays
Visa versa 2UX2 Charlotte დ
Beautiful photos of gorgeous flowers. You certainly have a great eye for detail. And you inspire me for my artwork. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Sandra. So happy you enjoyed & thanks for stopping by დ
You have captured the colors and beauty of nature at its best! Thank you for sharing these marvelopus photos.
Thank you more for your very kind thoughts. I look forward to sharing another virtual year with you my friend დ
Beautiful ❤️
Thank you very much & cheers to you დ
Cindy, thank you for these beautiful photographs!
Reblogged this on charles french words reading and writing and commented:
Please enjoy these beautiful photographs from Cindy Knoke!
You are such a thoughtful friend Charles. Thank you for your kindness. I look forward to sharing another virtual year with you. Happy Holidays to you and yours დ
What a beauty 👌👌👌👌💯
How beautiful! And just in time for Christmas! Merry Christmas to you and your family!
I look forward to spending another year with you my friend. On Monday my twin 3 year old grandsons will be making decorated Christmas cookies with me for them to eat and take home to their parents. Merry Christmas to you and your family Kathy დდ
so mesmerizing, I’m in awe of these beautiful photography
Awww…. I am honored. Thank you for your kindness & cheers to you!
it is completely pleasure
<3 <3
Beautiful blooms! Good to hear you are getting some rain! 💗
It is so appreciated! Happiest New Year to you Amy <3
I feel like I should visit the Holler and pay you for photography class. These are stunning!
Please come visit. I don’t charge, but I will cook for you დდ
Warning: I’m vegetarian…nearly vegan. 😉
No worries…. I cook vegan meals many times each week.